'We Actively Support StartUp India And StandUp India'

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The leader in Indian banking industry, ICICI Bank, is actively supporting the ‘Start-up and Standup India’ campaign. In a bid to instil entrepreneurial qualities among the youngsters, the bank runs skill development programmes, which are attended by 50,000 people every year. Also, it organizes ‘start-up’ conferences in major cities to reach to new-age leaders. Simultaneously, with its various products and schemes, the bank is focused on offering personalized services to the entrepreneurs. Narrating such initiatives Chanda Kochhar, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank, spoke to Entrepreneur, on the occasion of the launch of software robotics in Mumbai recently.

We actively support the ‘Start-up India and Standup India’ campaign. We have launched various products and schemes, which would add value to the initiative. We are also looking out for ways to deliver these services more effectively through our branches. Our focus is to create sustainable livelihoods for people from the underprivileged background, who want to be independent. Most of them are unable to afford higher education or skill development training.

Under the skill development programme, how are you creating the future entrepreneurs?

We run several skill development initiatives, where we train more than 50,000 youngsters every year. The participants are trained in such a way that they can start their own enterprises in their villages’.

What is the scale of this skill training programme?

Through our 22 centres, under the ICICI Academy of Skills, we are able take the skill training programmes to the remotest part of the country. Many from rural India, who attended our training sessions, have set up their own business, earning a decent living.

Tell us about the ‘startup’ conferences that you are running in leading metro cities?

We have been running ‘start-up’ conferences in leading cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, which are attended by several start-ups and new-age entrepreneurs. We offer them resources; try to help them to set up their business at an early stage. We are trying to reach out to as many people possible,through these conferences.

And how the bank is offering personalized service with its products?

Today most entrepreneurs want things faster and more personalized. To meet their needs, we have introduced corporate internet banking system and corporate mobile banking app, iBizz. These two initiatives are primarily targeted at the established enterprises and start-up entrepreneurs.

(This article first appeared in the Indian edition of Entrepreneur magazine (October 2016 Issue).